The Catacombs of the Sulfuric River
by Carolare Scarletus
Summary: Tom Riddle travels to the catacombs of Mahoutokoro School of Magic, hoping to find an amulet that would raise the dead and catapult his vision of a world without Muggles and Mudbloods. The only problem is, the creatures of the land know that his plans are nothing less than pure and try to stop him with their proclamations and visions. Instead of turning away, he performs an oath.


**Important:** Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments); Travel and Tourism Task #6: Kolkata: write about a dark/light relationship ending well

**House:** Slytherin

**Year**: HoH

**Category:** Standard

**Summary: **Tom Riddle travels to the catacombs of Mahoutokoro School of Magic, hoping to find an amulet that would raise the dead and catapult his vision of a world without Muggles and Mudbloods. The only problem is, the creatures of the land know that his plans are nothing less than pure and try to stop him with their proclamations and visions. Instead of turning away, he agrees to perform a blood oath to prove that his intentions are for the greater good.

**Prompts: **[Setting] Mahoutokoro School of Magic (Japan)

**Word count:** **1544** (Excluding Author's Note, but including entire Drabble and Title)

**Author's Note: **I am pleased how this turned out and I hope y'all agree! This is something I would definitely come back to and flesh out. For now, it is a one-shot. Hopefully one day I'll be able to come back to it.

_As always, enjoy_

-Carolare Scarletus

* * *

**The Catacombs of the Sulfuric River**

Tom Riddle stared unmovingly at the large, hollowed mountain carved out of pure white stone. Silently, he listened to the soft discharge of murmurs as it mingled with the cool, night air before growing to a crescendo as it rocked violently against his frame. He'd come to Japan in search of an ancient artifact, one that would aid him in his ultimate goal of ridding the world of Muggles and Mudbloods from the earth, and if legend was correct, it resided somewhere within the catacombs of Mahoutokoro School of Magic, where all mythological creatures were born and raised on the basis of evil and darkness. A tingling of magic slithered through the air. Tom immediately looked around, momentarily fixated with the surrounding land as the legends he'd read about buzzed in his mind. The night was no time to dwell on such occurrences, especially if he wanted to see the first awakening of the keeper of the artifact he spent months researching.

Steadily, he walked forward, cloaking himself from any prying eyes that may be watching.

The tunnel in which he found himself in stretched on forever, the winding passage breaking off into odd directions until nothing but the light of his wand was the only thing to be seen. His heart took on an irregular beat, but he couldn't equate that to fear, something he'd never been able to feel. Tom thought back to what he'd found in Mahoutokoro, whose library had served as a tasteful catalyst to his endless desire to find the artifact to which would serve as the powerful instrument that would mark his new world order. The extensive amount of research he'd put into this would finally bear fruit and he could taste the treasure that lay just within his grasp.

Through the winding tunnels, he found that he wasn't alone. Every now and then, he would hear the pitter patter of feet, accompanied by the whispers of long-forgotten lore. Tom had brushed up on the creatures that dwelled within the catacombs, whose blood ran like rivers through the underground lair. They had taken a sacred oath to protect whatever treasures that lay within the deceitful tunnels, and if the legends that he'd read about in the library at Mahoutokoro, he would have to be careful and respect the land in which he found himself in.

Another shiver ran through him. This time, he stopped and turned, listening to the chilling message lingering precariously in the air as the magic within the cavern shifted considerably.

'_Come seek us where our voices sound.'_

Tom frowned, the words of the creatures singing such a horrid verse in the allusion of a shriek. He shifted forward, standing on the bounds of the glowing light. As the last verse of the song came to a comfortable stop, something rustled behind him. Tom ignored it to the best to his ability; he had not been pleased with the creatures' limitless and untrained tongue and would not be swayed by their warning. They could remain disagreeable all they want, but he had a good enough reason to be in the catacombs. After all, he had been asked to seek passage by the very entity that guarded his treasure. It was a sin of within its own not to respect them, however. It was only a matter of time before he found what those words meant in relation to him.

"You had absolutely no right to come here, young wizard," a voice called to him through the thick haze of the underground tomb, the sulfuric river glimmering in the glowing light of the vast landscape. Tom looked around, mesmerized by the glittering stars and orbs as they floated around them like diamonds in the sky. The sulfuric river glimmered and twinkled, almost as if winking back at him as it all took his breath away and rendered him completely speechless. "You know what you seek."

"I am here for the amulet."

"And, what would you do once you possess our sacred amulet," the voice couldn't help voice its concern regarding the artifact of its people. "Our precious amulet has not been moved in over one thousand years. It has brought peace to this land, finally quieting the reckless army that dwells within the catacombs. Once it is disturbed, there is no telling what would come of the slumbering army and what it means for the world as we know it. So, tell me, what are your intentions? Are you here for the good of the people, or are you here for your own nefarious reasons?"

"I know perfectly well of my intentions," he hissed, throwing his gaze over his shoulder as the purple hues and thundering voice grew to an unbearable crescendo. "It is you and the others who do not know."

The entity huffed in frustration. "All to satisfy the need for domination and destruction. We have seen many so much like yourself, young wizard. All of them met an ultimate demise and now serve a lonely existence in the underworld. What sets you apart from all that have transversed this tomb?"

Tom didn't answer right away. He'd become unhinged as he noticed the shift in the distant scenery. One by one, red glowing eyes began to peer at him with such malice that he could have sworn he was looking into the eyes of pure evil.

A wave of anxiety breezed him like a hard, galling wind. Never in his years had Tom felt such uneasiness; meeting up with a human with the extraordinary abilities known to their kind usually rarely unnerved him. A part of him was worried, another part of him wanted to throw him back to the tearing winds from whence he came. The air was pregnant with an uneasiness that he had never known. The moon, as full as it was, spoke of harsh words and unspeakable certainty. Tom had been asked to extend servitude to the creatures of the land with his blood, and that servitude, not to mention loyalty, was not given to just anyone. Tom was an exception to all that he had known that the world and the act of creation and treatment of nature were to be.

Speaking of the entity, it had dropped the camouflage of their choosing and was now storming toward him in a flurry of multi-colored feathers and abstruse delivery. As always, a creature of naturally born decent attracted attention. Tom's eyes remained on it as it stormed toward him, stopping just a few feet from her. He stood there, tucked his arm over his chest and underneath his breast, leaned forward and bowed respectfully to the towering creature with burning red eyes. He waited until an appropriate amount of time passed and he was able to stand.

"You forget your place, young wizard." Tom stole another glance of the entity, gauging its stained eyes as if it were another puzzle to solve. From the corner of his eyes, something scurried up the stone staircase and was never seen again. "Blood is the universal substance that binds us all. Are you willing to take an oath? Surely, you know what that is?"

"You cannot possibly believe that blood is a strong another substance to align the stars and join us together? I know what you ask of me, but I am not desperate enough to offer it to you." Appalled by its sister's accusation, Tom took a step back and stared at the entity as if it was a monster than his own flesh and blood. Its haunting eyes glowed lividly in the artificial moonlight. They turned dark in a blink of an eye. "Not everything comes down to the methods of the universe."

Tom knew what it was trying to convey.

Can the universe provide the answers? Can something happen naturally without someone inducing nature as some spectral that was furious with anger? Of all things that they believed in and found resolution with, not everything had a simple, worldly answer and he was growing concerned that he was beginning to lose sight of what mattered the most. Things occurred in nature because they allowed them to and not because there was some deep, unexplained reason behind the phenomenon. They steeled themselves about knowing the workings of the worlds and they did an amazing job keeping up with the façade that not all had the right to see.

Sparked by the revolution that could not be ignored, Tom looked at the entity with flaring determination.

"Alright, I will make the oath."

"The stars are beautiful this time of night."

Tom knew not to ask more when it spoke of the stars and planets. Eventually, he knew he would have to face the unsettling fact that something was truly dwelling inside the impenetrable walls of Mahoutokoro. For weeks, he beat himself up because he couldn't decipher the whereabouts of the amulet. Yet, he was able to understand everything that he uncovered. Tom knew everything, and that is why they were present at that moment. Like the fatal teachings of the planets, Fate had an astounding way of paying back those who showed it respect and if this entity wanted to play, then so be it.


End file.
